'Constructive' discussions to continue Wednesday

The situation is difficult for businesses and private citizens, said Xavier Bettel on Tuesday evening at the end of a seven-hour meeting, adding that selective and time-limited aid was needed.

The government, unions and employers failed to reach any decisions, but the meeting is set to continue on Wednesday. Bettel stressed that he would do his best to lead the parties towards an agreement.

The government will get together in the Ministerial Council in the morning to come up with proposals, which will then hopefully lead to some decisions in the Tripartite.

Bettel said ideally this could conclude on Wednesday, but he had "cleared his calendar" just in case, and discussions could continue at the weekend. The Prime Minister will be in Brussels on Thursday and Friday for an EU Council meeting.

The main goal of the discussions is to help households and businesses deal with rising prices, and especially high energy costs.

The Prime Minister did not want to go into detail about potential measures, which still need to be discussed internally. But the discussion so far has been constructive and the partners had made proposals, said Bettel.

Unions and employer representatives did not comment after the meeting on Tuesday. Unions had stated previously that they would insist on the wage index being adjusted again, while employers suggested that multiple adjustments a year are not manageable. The index was last adjusted in October last year, but this is likely to happen again soon.

A tripartite does not necessarily have to come to an agreement; the government can make a final decision on its own.